by Matt Bird

Created on: January 07, 2010

Writing a book review is just like writing any other kind of review: you need an authoritative approach, a thorough knowledge of the subject and - perhaps most important for garnering an audience - a distinctive voice.

Books are a debatable medium. What appeals to one reader may not snag another. Consequently it's perfectly alright not to like a book. That said, your reasons for feeling as such need to be backed up by proof in a book review. Otherwise you're just a mad man (or a mad woman, as the case may be) engaged in a hopeless rant.

Say, for example, that you're criticizing the amount of walking found in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. You're perfectly at liberty to do so. You must, however, provide a few examples of this happening to sound like you know what you're talking about. 'They walk too much' isn't nearly as convincing as 'the long trek through Mordor was needlessly long, and though it was probably done to highlight Frodo and Sam's problems Tolkein could have been much more succinct'.

And to do that you need to read the book. Reeeeeeead it, and read it thoroughly. Don't skip any pages, don't miss any passages, and if you see any glaring, obvious omissions then you might want to backtrack before going off on some crazed diatribe. You'll lose all your credibility if you point out an 'obvious' flaw which, in fact, was filled in by the author. You just happened to miss it by skimming. To review you must master the book, or at least know the parts you plan on criticizing.

And though all this is well and good, you also need a voice. Being able to write well is nice, yes, but there are MILLIONS of people on this planet who know how to write. YOU need to be able to make yourself distinctive. Let your voice flow through your reading. Develop a pattern of writing that lets others know you're the writer without even checking the byline. This can be tricky at first, and frankly there's no better teacher than lots of practice. Write, write, write until your hands fall off, then pick them up (how? good question) and start writing again.

All reviews should be balanced and fair, addressing both the pros and cons of a particular work. Knowing everything about your particular book is key to achieving this. Mix a thorough knowledge of the material with a dash of personality and you've got a piece that'll stand out above the rest, which as a reviewer is exactly what you want.

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